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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · trunk · track · snap · rule · nail · march · object

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. object — a thing
  3. march — the month
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. object — an aim
  12. rule — government
  13. object — to protest
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. track — a song
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to click
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. track — a path
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com